Traveling over the hill to grandma’s house (or where ever you’re going for the winter holidays) can take its toll on your health. At the least, it can throw a wrench in your normal fitness routine and, at the worst, it can make you sick. There’s nothing worse that being too stuffed up to taste the spiked eggnog! Here’s how to avoid some of the most perilous travel pitfalls.
Incubators for illness
Yes, that’s what Dr. Mehmet Oz calls that hotbed of germs in the sky better known as airplanes. If you have ever been coughed on for three hours straight by what seems like a tubercular seatmate or felt all sticky and icky after twisting that little thing that adjusts the air, you know what he means. But there are ways to limit your chances of infection while on a plane. “Pack an alcohol-based hand sanitizer in your carry-on and use it early and often (after getting seated, before and after eating and drinking, and when you return from the restroom.) This step alone will reduce your chance of getting sick by 50 percent,” Dr. Oz says. He also recommends using sanitary wipes to swab down your tray table, arming your immune system with Ginseng and staying hydrated.
The Drive-Thru
The holidays are already hard on your healthy eating habits but traveling can throw even more temptations in your path. Prepare yourself by packing healthy snacks to munch on along the way. Marisa Moore of American Dietetic Association recommends healthy travel snacks such as nuts, fresh fruit and whole grain granola bars.
Sloth Syndrome
Yes, you deserve time to relax, but sticking to a workout routine can help you have a healthier holiday and help keep you from gaining weight. Dr. Michael Roizen recommends you “try to stay at a hotel that offers fitness facilities.” And use them, even if that requires bribing yourself with some of that spiked eggnog afterwards! If there’s no gym handy, NASM Elite Trainer Alicen Ronan suggests that you find a mall to trek through or pack some resistance bands to use in your room.